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Why we will march for science

This Saturday, scientists and science advocates from all walks of life will converge on Washington, D.C. and in cities throughout the country to draw attention to the need for evidence-based policies. As the only PhD physicist in Congress, I will march as a concerned member of the scientific community, not as a congressman. Science, logic, and truth should not be partisan issues; they are the cornerstones of fields that have made the United States a leader in innovation and a better place for everyone to live.

The Trump administration’s policies threaten this leadership. The president’s anti-science policies began on the campaign trail when he called climate change a hoax, directly contradicting decades of climate science data and research and instilling a falsehood as fact to millions of Americans.

In science, the declaration of a false statement would end your career. Today, many politicians knowingly make false statements on the campaign trail for their short-term political benefit. These promises based on false facts lead to policies based on false science that become detrimental to the long-term vitality of our country.

If we choose to ignore science and refuse to fund important scientific research, we voluntarily cede our place as a world leader in innovation. Scientific advancement has given our society a standard of living that was unimaginable for many generations. Science has improved public health, taken us to the moon, and allowed us to understand the origins of our universe. It also has given us the tools to solve problems now instead of reacting to them after it is too late.

Climate change denial and budget cuts to critical science funding puts us dangerously close to an outright rejection of the expertise of scientists and the knowledge that centuries of scientific inquiry have yielded. The Science March is a call to academics, universities, experts, and anyone who values education to stand united against this wave of ignorance, lies, and disregard for facts for the next generation.

Citizen involvement in support of science doesn’t have to start with running for high political offices. We need people at every level of government to advocate for evidence-based policies, science and education. Science advocates can run for their local school board or city council, or simply request a meeting with their member of Congress.

Until the Trump administration changes course significantly, we must work together to bridge the divide between academia, education and policymaking. This administration’s decision to ignore the science will not absolve them of responsibility. Our actions will have a lasting effect and history will judge us more kindly. See you at the March.